Jared Chisari broke Queen's Football's single-season rushing yards record, surpassing Mike Giffin's 1,157 yards from the 2007 season, in Queen's Football's 12-8 win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees in front of a sold-out crowd at Richardson Stadium Saturday. The win also secured a home playoff date for Queen's, who finished the regular season with a 5-3 record, good for fourth in the OUA.

Queen's will host the Gee-Gees, who finished the season 4-4 after the loss, Saturday, Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. at Richardson Stadium. Playoff tickets are on sale now on the Queen's Gaels ticket website.

Chisari (Naples, ME) capped a massive season for Queen's, with an incredible total of 1,178 yards on the ground and seven touchdowns. The running back attributes this accomplishment to the team, highlighting the strong support system that fueled his record-breaking performance.

"It's really a tribute to everyone on the offence," Chisari said after the game. "From coaches, even the equipment staff, all the way down to those offensive linemen and our quarterbacks, and the receivers, who are out on the perimeter blocking every play. I just can't feel anything but gratitude right now, I am really happy."
 

Queen's also showcased their strong defence all game long, holding the Gee-Gees to just eight points in the win. Queen's defence finished first in the OUA in points allowed and second in yards allowed.

Queen's set the tone early on in the first quarter, as defensive end Silas Hubert (Hastings, Ont.) delivered an impactful tackle for a defensively heavy match.

Queen's offence moved well in the first quarter, as Chisari, receiver Aidan O'Neal (Sackville, N.B.), and quarterback Russell Weir (Oakville, Ont.) worked together to steadily advance toward the end zone. Weir delivered an incredible pass to Nathan Falconi (Palgrave, Ont.), putting Queen's right in the red zone, and although they couldn't convert the drive to points, Queen's defence would pin the Gee-Gees deep in their zone and gained two points from a safety for a 2-0 lead.

During the second quarter, both Dawson Matthews-Reid (Oshawa, Ont.) and Keegan Vanek (London, Ont.) had highlight-reel interceptions to keep the Gee-Gees out of the end zone, contributing to the defensive intensity of the game.

Closing out the quarter, Vanek had an impressive punt return from the end zone to the 50-yard line. With no added points to the scoreboard, Queen's headed into the locker room, still holding the two-point advantage over Ottawa.

Opening up the second half of the game, Weir connected with Niklas Henning (Milton, Ont.) for a remarkable pass, setting the stage for Queen's to secure a field goal and extend their lead to 5-0.

Ottawa responded later in the quarter, getting their first points of the game from a safety, closing the gap to 5-2.

Queen's had a small lead heading into the final quarter, and Anthony Soles (Pointe Claire, Que.) sealed the deal with the game's first touchdown. Both teams battled it out the rest of the way, and Queen's defence worked tirelessly to keep the upper hand over the Gee-Gees. With less than one second left on the clock, Ottawa managed to sneak past the defensive line with a 3-yard pass turned touchdown.

"You got two good defences going at it, and our defence was outstanding right up until the end," said Head Coach Steve Synder in a post-game interview.

Linebacker Justin Pace (St-Lambert, Que.) had another strong game with six solo tackles while defensive back Eric Colonna (Mississauga, Ont.) finished with three solo and three assisted tackles as well.

Queen's had an impressive total of 235 rushing yards, thanks to the combined effort of Chisari and Soles. Running back Soles was the sole scorer of the game, breaking through the Gee-Gees defensive line with a 13-yard run.

Weir had another solid game behind centre, finishing 7-14 for 110 yards. Weir has consistently performed throughout the season when called upon, helping  to lead the team to success.

"I've always wanted this opportunity…I was always ready supporting Alex, and then it was my turn, and now Alex is supporting me and talking to me from the sidelines. It's really that brotherhood of the quarterback right now," Weir said post-game.

Saturday's Homecoming Game win saw a record-breaking 8,618 fans in the crowd at sold out Richardson Stadium.

"We were getting a heads up that there was gonna be a big crowd coming, and they showed out. I'm glad they did because we needed that energy, and hopefully they turn up next week," said Synder post-game.

"If we can get the students out again next week, it will make a difference in the game, I can promise you that."